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Unionized workers at a Bombardier Inc. plant that supplies streetcars, subway cars and GO Transit cars to the Toronto area went on strike Monday.

About 900 members of Unifor Local 1075 walked off the job to protest what they say are the employer’s demand for concessions in pensions and benefits.

“We’re out,” said local president Dominic Pasqualino. “They’re asking for concessions. We’re never going to agree to concessions.”

The labour disruption comes at a critical time for the TTC as it prepares to launch its new fleet of streetcars being built at the Thunder Bay plant.

A quick look at the TTC's new streetcars, which officially launch on Aug. 31.

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The Bombardier facility also builds Go Transit’s green and white bi-level cars and has orders for light rapid vehicles for Metrolinx and Kitchener-Waterloo and the Toronto Rocket, Toronto’s next generation of subway cars.

Bombardier said it is committed to meeting all of its obligations, though it declined to spell out any details.

“I can assure you we will take every and all measures necessary to ensure we deliver on our commitments both to our customers and to our partners,” company spokesperson Marc-Andre Lefebvre said in a telephone interview.

The union believes Bombardier plans to bring in replacement workers, Pasqualino said in a telephone interview. Bombardier declined to comment on the union’s allegation.

The TTC said it still plans to move ahead on an Aug. 31 launch of the new streetcars even if only a single vehicle is available for service, transit agency spokesperson Brad Ross said.

“The TTC has publicly committed to having at least one new streetcar in service starting Aug. 31. That commitment remains unchanged,” Ross said in a statement.

The TTC has two prototype streetcars available to it, he confirmed. But it’s not known if both will be ready to go into service by the end of next month.

The TTC is also waiting on the balance of an order for 70 new Toronto Rocket subways from Bombardier. Fifty-five of the new trains have been delivered and the rest are supposed to be here to furnish the Yonge-University-Spadina line in October.

The subways were sole-sourced from Bombardier in 2006 by Toronto for about $1 billion.

Bombardier won a competitive bidding process to build the new fleet of 204 low-floor, accessible, air-conditioned streetcars for $1.25 billion — two-thirds of which is being funded by the city with the province picking up the remaining cost.

The new vehicles are supposed to run first on Spadina Ave. and then Bathurst St. and roll out across the other TTC routes through 2019. Platform modifications at Spadina Station are scheduled for next month.

Ross wouldn’t speculate on any service impacts the strike might have on Toronto transit operations.

Go Transit takes delivery of about two coaches from Bombardier each month. A GO spokesperson said she couldn’t speak to the impact of the labour disruption on its service. She said officials are monitoring the situation.

Unifor national president Jerry Dias said the strike in Thunder Bay is about preserving good paying jobs in Ontario.

“Unifor is prepared to stand its ground to ensure the good jobs we already have are not whittled away,” said Dias, who was involved in the contract negotiations over the weekend.

Average wages at the plant for general labourers range from $18 an hour to $25, with the skilled trades making just under $30 an hour, Pasqualino told the Toronto Star earlier.

Bombardier spokesperson Lefebvre said the company was “committed to reaching an agreement that’s both fair and reasonable and one that in the long run would provide well-paid jobs.”

At the same time, the company needs to be competitive with rivals, he said.

“If we want to be able to bring more work to Thunder Bay we have to remain competitive,” Lefebvre said.

The workers have been in a legal strike or lockout position since June 10 and without a contract since May 31.

No talks are scheduled and there has been no new offer from the company since July 12, the union said.

Three years ago, in 2011, the workers struck over Bombardier’s attempt to reduce drug benefits for early retirees. The strike was settled within three days.

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